Winter break is over, and many of us are transitioning our students back into the routines of the classroom. The first couple of weeks back from a break, I prefer to use math center activities in my room that review skills the students are already familiar with. My whole group teaching will hit on some new things, but it is easier for my kindergarten students to readjust to routines and procedures if the content is familiar such as 2D shape practice! Come along to see 3 of my favorite kindergarten shape activities that are perfect for winter learning and review!
Kindergarten Shape Activities Are Perfect For Review!
You know how it goes… the kids are out of school for a few weeks and when they return, it almost seems as though they’ve forgotten everything they learned! Don’t worry though friends, I’ve learned that with some intentional review, everyone can get back up to speed quickly again. If you’re not sure where to start, 2D shapes are the perfect topic to review after a long winter break. There are so many fun ways to engage kindergarten students with shape review. Here are three of my favorites!
2D Shapes Bump!
Bump! is a fun game meant to be played with two players. This is a classroom favorite in my room because everyone loves to partner up and play a game! In the winter months, I like to use Bump mats that have different shapes that look like snowflakes. There’s nothing more fun in the winter than dreaming of a snow day, after all.
Each partner group will choose a mat and will also need 2 sets of manipulatives to use as their game pieces. Each child will need a different color so that they can identify which ones are theirs on the mat. To get started, the first student spins a spinner and places his or her cube on the shape the spinner lands on. The second student does the same. The catch is if the second student spins the same shape as the first student, they can bump that student’s cube off and replace it with their own. My kids LOVE this! It has everyone laughing and excited to spin!
If a student spins the same shape at two different times, and they haven’t been bumped off, they can place a second cube on the same shape. This means that they are safe. They cannot be bumped off after that. This continues and the student who uses up all of their cubes first is the winner! This is one of my favorite kindergarten shape activities to pull out during those first few days back after break. Everyone loves it, so it makes it super simple to engage my students and get them excited to be at school again.
2D Shape Color By Code
Color by Code can be used to review so many different skills and it’s one of my go-to after winter break since it’s a no-prep option. I like to print off a variety of different pages and store them in a file folder for quick and easy access. As a bonus, this is an independent activity, so it’s very versatile too. It works well as seat work, morning work, or early finisher work.
To use, students color in the picture according to the key on the page. Different shapes require that different colors be used on the page. The winter pages included in this unit feature fun pictures like penguins and snowmen. The students are always excited to figure out the mystery picture at the end of their work!
I also like to use these kindergarten shape activities as a follow-up after my small groups. We will often play another 2D shape game together in my group to help the students review first. BINGO is a great activity for this time of year. Then, when we’re finished, I will hand each kiddo a page to take to their desk and review a bit more. I like this because the shapes we’re working on are fresh in their minds after playing BINGO. This helps my kiddos recall shapes and shape names, even if they have forgotten everything after winter break!
Shape Match it Up
Last on my list of fun review games, this is an all-time favorite when it comes to winter kindergarten shape activities! Actually, anything, where kids can use snap cubes, is a win in our classroom! To play this fun shape-matching game, students will use the key on the side of the page. They will match different colored cubes to the different shapes on their mat. This can be done with a partner, where each student takes turns adding a cube to the mat. Or it can be done independently. Either way works great and we tend to use both options on different days after winter break to review 2Dshapes.
To save ink, you can print these pages in black-and-white and let students color in their own key! They love this option, so we do this from time to time as well. They also really seem to enjoy the fun winter-themed shapes on each page. Shapes that look like polar bears, penguins, and snowmen make my kids smile!
I use these pages as a center activity since I can easily laminate them and then place them in a bin with snap cubes. Then, these pages can be used over and over again!
Try These Free Winter Math Games
Are you ready to get your students practicing and reviewing shapes? These these free math games in your classroom.
More Kindergarten Shape Activities
These kindergarten shape activities are just the tip of the iceberg in my room! These 3 activities can all be found in my Winter Shapes Galore Resource. These fun activities, along with many others will make reviewing 2D shapes after winter break a breeze! Some of the other games included are Dominoes, Roll & Cover, Bingo, Clip Cards, Spin & Color, and more.
There are a total of 13 games included in this set and they all feature a fun, winter theme that is perfect for after break. They make great centers, independent work, or small group activities.
Because so many of these kindergarten shape activities are set up as game mats, you can print and laminate them now and use them for many years to come. Trust me, you’ll be so happy to find these in your winter stash next year!
And the best part is, many of these activities are low prep. Just print and go and you have engaging winter math centers for the week, or even the month, ready to go. They are the perfect thing to pull out the week after a long break to review and your students will love them!
Looking for More Winter Learning Activities?
Check out these posts next!
- 10 Winter Lapbook Activities Your Students Will Absolutely Love
- 3 Fun Winter Counting Games for Primary Learners
- 5 Fun Winter Writing Center Activities
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